Rather than taking a behavioral or psychological approach, Focus-MD is a medical practice that treats ADHD as the medical problem that science has proven it to be. Dr. James Wiley practiced general pediatrics at Dothan Pediatric Clinic in Dothan AL for almost 20 years before moving to Mobile in 2008 and founding Focus. While in Dothan he was able to work with a number of patients having ADHD. He believed ADHD patients needed a better way to handle there disorder and he believed he could help. Born out of years of personal and professional frustration with the standard of care in ADHD management, focus approaches the ADHD problem head on. When Dr. Wiley opened Focus-MD he designed the practice from the ground up, personalizing the most current professional guidelines for diagnosis and treatment to reflect what his patients have taught… Read More »

There are many studies that prove that too much screen time is never good. This applies to both adults and kids and includes video games, surfing the web, social apps, and television. Lots of people have trouble managing screen time and having ADHD can make it near impossible to know when it is time to unplug. Thankfully, there are a few tools that can help both kids and parents. Smart Plugs: These wifi-enabled smart plugs can act as “screen time security”, plugging into the wall outlet and housing your electronic device (think X-Box or the wifi router). Set a hard cut off time for the power. They can work with apps or with hubs like Alexa or Google Home. Screen Time on Apple Products: If you have an iPhone or iPad, utilize the Screen Time feature in settings to set… Read More »

When faced with long stretches at home, many rejoiced with all the projects they would be able to get done. Those loose photos can finally be organized into albums! Time to clean out all the closets! Homeschooling the kids? No problem! Some people with ADHD may have started out feeling hopeful, only to find that weeks later there has been nothing crossed off the list. Maybe you started purging your closet and midway through you decide that the shelves really don’t work well for your closet size and two hours later you find yourself plopped down in the middle of your half-finished purge pile creating a board for closet organization on Pinterest. Maybe you want to read that new novel for just a little bit before you start that report the boss is asking for only to look up and… Read More »

by James C. Wiley, MD, FAAP @adddoc ADHD brains get corrected, blamed, and shamed so often that they find ways to push back. One favorite strategy is blaming everything and everyone else. You've heard it..."The dog ate my homework." During a follow up visit one of my bright teenage patients explained that he rarely needed his ADHD medication anymore and mainly took it when he had a big test or project due. His response to why his grades had tumbled from honor roll to toilet bowl was that he had several teachers that didn’t like him.  More than that, a couple of them “didn’t really teach”. In addition, one teacher "messed me up because she only posts assignments online so I have to remember to login to the website to even know what we are supposed to do--the work sneaks up… Read More »

It’s that time of year again, the most dreaded part of the semester for most college students, midterms. If you have ADHD, midterms can be even more stressful because lets face it, procrastination always finds its way into your study sessions. Before you start calculating how well you have to do on your exams, let us help take the stress out of midterms. Here are 5 helpful tips to help you study smarter and be successful on your exams. Get plenty of sleep We have all pulled an all-nighter expecting to become an overnight expert in the subject; however, the truth is those last minute cram sessions are not good for your health or grades. When you don’t get the rest you need, you are unable to concentrate, stay productive or retain information. While all-nighters are an ode to college… Read More »